Nine Games in Two Days Means League Season Returns

Horizon League TV Schedule for the Weekend of Dec. 30 (all times ET):
Thursday, Dec. 30
Loyola at Cleveland State, 7 p.m. -- Horizon League Network
Milwaukee at Wright State, 7 p.m. -- Horizon League Network
Green Bay at Detroit, 7 p.m. -- Horizon League Network
UIC at Youngstown State, 7:05 p.m. -- Horizon League Network

Saturday, Jan. 1
Milwaukee at Detroit, 1 p.m. -- Horizon League Network
Loyola at Youngstown State, 1:05 p.m. -- Horizon League Network
Valparaiso at Butler, 2 p.m. -- ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court, Horizon League Network
UIC at Cleveland State, 2 p.m. -- Horizon League Network
Green Bay at Wright State, 4 p.m. -- Horizon League Network

INDIANAPOLIS -- With the majority of non-conference matchups over until BracketBusters weekend, the Horizon League resumes the conference portion of the schedule with nine contests spread over Thursday and Saturday.  All nine games are feature live and for free on HorizonLeague.com.

Travel partners #rv/rv Butler (9-4, 1-0 Horizon) and Valparaiso (10-4, 2-0 Horizon) will play the teams' lone League game this weekend on Saturday, with the Bulldogs holding a Horizon League record in their hands at the tip.  Winners of 21 straight Horizon League contests, a victory on Saturday would give Butler a new League mark, breaking the record held by Green Bay (1994-97) and Butler (Jan. 18, 2008-Jan. 30, 2009).

Valparaiso will present a stern test for the Bulldogs; while Butler returns home winners of five straight games and holding the Diamond Head Classic championship trophy, the Crusaders captured the Lou Henson Award Tournament title, downing Oakland, 103-102, in the title game.  Overall, Valpo has won four straight games, second only to Butler among League teams at the moment.

The game will also be a matchup of the Horizon League Co-Players of the Week in Butler's Matt Howard and Valpo's Howard Little.

Hitting the road for the first time in conference play, travel partners Green Bay (6-7, 1-1 Horizon) and Milwaukee (6-7, 1-1 Horizon) will meeting Detroit (7-6, 1-0 Horizon) and Wright State (7-6, 0-1 Horizon).  The Phoenix are coming off of two straight wins last week, while the Panthers have been off since a 72-69 victory over Bowling Green on Dec. 18.

Both the Titans and Raiders are coming off of road losses and will be looking to close 2010 on a high note.

Loyola (9-4, 0-2 Horizon) and UIC (5-8. 0-1 Horizon) will each seek its first League win of the year, hitting the northeast Ohio swing of the schedule in meeting #rv/- Cleveland State (13-1, 2-0 Horizon) and Youngstown State (5-6, 0-2 Horizon).  After opening the year with seven straight wins, the Ramblers have lost four of their last six contests, including two Horizon games at home in early December.

After taking over a week off after a 20-point defeat to Oregon State, the Flames will attempt to rebuild the momentum from their upset win over then-#12/14 Illinois on Dec. 18.

Cleveland State swept its opening Horizon contests, claiming wins in Green Bay and Milwaukee for the first time in over a decade; ranking 11th in RPI, the Vikings will look to continue it impressive start to the season and further position itself for a postseason tournament.

The mad-bombers of the Horizon League, Youngstown State continues to pace the conference in three-point shooting, knocking down nearly eight threes per game.  After dropping their opening League games on the road, the Penguins hope to bounce back at the friendly confines of the Beeghly Center.